Gate construction for



Dec. s, 1925. 1.564.534 J. CYTROLN .GATE CONSTRUCTION FOR STORES Filedv Nov. 13. 1922 l 1- d Fm l 'f/ z-fffe "il Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES JULIUS CYTRON, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

GATE CONSTRUCTION FOR STORES.

Application led November 13, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULiUs CY'rnoN, a citizen of the United States, and resident olf Tulsa, county of Tulsa, State of Oklahoma, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Gate Constructions for Stores, of which the following is a complete specification.

The present invention relates to retail shops or stores, and particularly to stores of the self-service type in which certain entrance and eXit points are provided and the patrons, to reach the exit points, are obliged to pass a checking desk for settlement ot' the merchandise being purchased. One of the objects of the invention is to devise an improved gat-e construction for this class of stores with a view to providing entrance and exit gates adapted for opening movement in but'one direction and to be opened automatically by patrons entering and leaving the store, respectively.

A further feature of the improvements is the provision oit' a signal device adapted 25 to be actuated automatically and simultaneously with the opening movement of each of the gates at the point of entrance to the store.

With this general object in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one form of construction which I have found to be practical for embodying the proposed improvements, after which those features deemed to be novel will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- V Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating the general arrangement ot the improved gate construction;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of one of the gate structures, partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of one of the gate structures, partly broken away, the dotted lines illustrating the unlatching operation and the 'signal panel in display position; and

Figure L1 is an enlarged section taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this illustrates in Figure 1 the gate improvements in relation to the front or en- 55 trance and exit portion of a retail store room of the selfservice type in which the patrons Serial No. 600,744.

move in the direction of the arrows on entering and leaving the store. In practice, it is customary to provide one or more entrance passages 6 leading to the' counters and shelving containing the merchandise (not shown), and also one or more exit passages 7 leading past a space 8 designed as a location for the checking and cashiers desk where the mechandise selected by the patrons is checked and settled for. In the present construction the entrance to each of the passages 6 is normally closed by a gate 10 mounted between posts 11 and adapted to open only in an inward direction to admit a patron approaching from the outside, while the eXit from each of the passages 7 is normally closed by a gate 10 adapted to open only in an outward direction to allow a person to pass from the inside. Each gate 10 is self-closing by the action of springs 12 associated with its hinges 14, a stop strip 15 on one of the posts 11 serving to limit the closing movement of the gate.

One of the side margins of each gate is provided with a beveled spring-actuated latch 16 adapted, when the gate is in closed position, to be engaged by the outer end of a catch lever 17 which is pivoted, as indicated at 18, within the adjacent hollow post 11, as clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the lever being provided with a plurality of openings 19 for adjustment of its pivotal mounting and thereby regulating the sensitiveness of the unlatching oper ation of the gate. The lever 17 projects thro-ugh a slot 20 in the post and is maintained by a coil spring 21 in engagement with the lower end ot said slot as shown by full lines in Figure 3, representing the operative position of the catch lever for engagement with the latch 16 to lock the gate in closed position. To the inner end of the lever 17 is pivotally connected a link 22 extending down through the interior ot the post and connecting with an arm 23 projecting horizontally from one corner of a hinged floor section 24 forming a treadoperated member adapted to be depressed by a party stepping upon the same for the purpose of lifting the catch lever 17 and releasing the latch 16, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3. These floor sections or tread members 24C are located in the paths of approach to the gates, or at the side opposite to the direction ot their opening movement, being at the outside of the gates to the passages 6, and at the inside of the gates to the passages 7.

Each of the floor sections or tread members 24; opposite the entrance passages 6 is also provided with a horizontally projecting arm 25, one end of which is connected to a link 26 extending through the post ll to which the corresponding gate is hinged; the upper end of this link is pivotally connected with a sign panel 27 which is supported by a pivot 28 near the top of the post, and also near one corner of the panel, so that the latter tends normally to swing down into concealed position behind the post, as illustrated in Figure 3. Thus, the depression of the tread member 24 will not only unlatch the gate but also operate to lift the sign panel from lower concealed position to raised or display position, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3, and in the case et the entrance gates the weight of the sign panels cooperates with the action ot the springs 2l to restore the tread member 24 to initial position or flush with the remainder of the Hoor. These panels 27 are designed to carry signs or reading mattei', as indicated at 30, such as directions for the patron to take one of the baskets supplied by the store for use in carrying his merchandise to the checking counter, or any other instructions desired to be given, and the moving character or the panel serves to bring such 'instructions at once to the attention et the patrons.

It is -thus apparent that an improved, simple and eiiicient gate construction has been provided which will operate -to admit the patrons to the passages 6 by the automatic unlatching and opening of the corresponding gates, it being noted that the entrance gates l() t-o the passages 6 can only open in an inward direction, their outward movement being prevented by the stop lstrips l5, and since the unlatching of the gates must be enected by the depressing ot' the tread members 24, the opening of these gates to the passages 6 can be elected only by persons approaching from the outside and mounting the tread memberv2-l corresponding to thegate 10 at the entrance of one or the other ofsaid passages. Simultaneous with this treadle depressing operation the signal panels 27 will be li-t'ted into display position for imparting whatever' directions or instructions are printed upon these panels. On the return of the patrons to the front ot the store, they can leave only by way oi the passages 7 .past the checking desk or counter, and as they approach the exit gates these are likewise unlatched and opened automatically by stepping on the corresponding tread members as in the gates to the passages 6. It will also be noted that these exit gates l0 can only open in an outward direction, any inward movement being prevented by the corresponding stop strips l5, and, since the exit gates can be unlatohed only by the operation oit' the corresponding tread members 24.-, this gate opening operation can be effected yonly by a person approaching the said gate through the passages 7 and mounting said tread members 2li. lt will of course be understood that the gates are all closed automatically by the action et their springs l2, and the relatching ot the gates also takes place automatically, the beveled latches 16 snapping back into locking engagement with the ends of the catch levers 17, which latter have been returned to operative position by their springs 2l.

lhile l have illustrated what I deem to constitute the preferred form of arrangement and construction, it is also apparent that minoil changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What l claim is:

l. A gate construction for stores comprising, in combination, an entrance gate provided with means for maintaining said gate normally latched in closed position, a sign panel mounted adjacent said gate and movable into and out oi display position, a tread-operated device provided with a connection tor operating said iirst means int-o gate-unlatc-hing position, said device being` located opposite the approach to the gate and being depressible by a patron entering the store for automatically unlatching the gate, and means actuated simi-iltaneously by said tread-operated device Jor moving said sign panel int-o display position.

2. A gate construction for stores comprising, in combination, an entrance gate, a sign panel mounted adjacent said gate 'for vertical movement into and out oi' display position and maintained by gravity in lowered position, a tread-'operated device located opposite the approach to the gate, and connections actuated by said device 'tor automatical y unlatching said gate and simultaneously lifting said sign panel into display position, the return movement ot said panel into lowered position tending, through its connection with said tread-operated device, to restore the latter to initial position.

ln witness whereof l hereunto atlix my signature.

JULIUS CYTRON. 

